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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · suit · rule · nail · calf · snap · capital · mouse

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com